Why is it that the foreign media never describes Pakistan as a victim of terrorism, even though we have had more attacks than the rest of the world put together and even our President and Prime Minister have narrowly escaped concerted assassination attempts? This is not without reason.
We have been suffering from terrorism since 1980s, when Russia, in collusion with India and its puppet regime in Kabul, sponsored terrorist attacks that were the largest in the world at that time, according to America's CIA.
It was in retaliation for our support to the Mujahideen, who were fighting against the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. Simultaneously, we had sectarian terrorism that arose as a result of the proxy war being fought on our soil by some countries. In late 1980s, India sponsored terrorist attacks all over the country in a reaction to the freedom struggle that had started in the occupied Kashmir.
Then came a spate of terrorist attacks after the American occupation of Afghanistan in 2001. These attacks continue and their number is more than the total terrorist attacks by al Qaeda and its remnants all over the world.
Whenever the foreign media mentions the victims of terrorism, it starts with the US, Spain and England and then stops after adding Turkey, Egypt and a few others. However, it never includes Pakistan among them. Even the Western leaders, who otherwise praise us profusely for our help in "the war against terror," don't mention the obvious fact.
Why is it so? The reason is logical. If they describe us as a victim of terrorism, they cannot call us a source of terrorism at the same time. They must have us as a scapegoat and that is possible only by ignoring the fact that we ourselves are the victim of terrorist attacks.
Our leaders as well as the media must highlight the fact that our country has been a victim of terrorism for 25 long years and we are the worst sufferers in the world. The details of these attacks must be projected.
The President, the Prime Minister and others may highlight this fact in their public statements and in their interviews with the foreign media.